


Sounds of Silence

by bob_eclipsa_smith



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Forgive Me, M/M, i have sinned, klance, trash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-26
Updated: 2017-11-26
Packaged: 2019-02-07 05:12:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12834030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bob_eclipsa_smith/pseuds/bob_eclipsa_smith
Summary: There's something inherently lonely and something amazingly human about silence. Something frightening and something comforting. It all depends on the context and who's there to listen with you.





	Sounds of Silence

**Author's Note:**

  * For [page_ina_book](https://archiveofourown.org/users/page_ina_book/gifts).



> For Paige.
> 
> I hate you.
> 
> (except not really. you're like my best friend)

Silence has its own sound.

The ironic thing about it, is that it's not really a sound at all. It's more of a feeling, an aura that sets the silence alight with small interspersed little spurts of sound.

An engine thrumming.

The drumming of nervous fingertips upon a hard surface.

The anxious shuffle of a foot.

A heavy, strained breath.

A strangled gasp.

A sob.

In silence, the slightest of sounds carries more than a symphony of orchestral instruments. There's feeling behind the sound, something inherently sad and something inhumanly lonely about the small sounds interspersed within the silence. There's something tense about silence, as though time grinds to a screeching halt, and everything moves at an achingly snail like pace.

This is the current sensation of Lance’s beating heart as he flies away from the bomb, while elsewhere the lone Galra ship shoots dauntlessly and impulsively towards the particle barrier of Naxzela.

"/"

( _He told him not to do it.  
_

_He had known that Keith was preparing to do something so inherently_ stupid _that day. Don't ask him why, because Lance couldn't say with complete certainty.  
_

_Perhaps he was psychic.  
_

_Perhaps merely intuitive.  
_

_But most probably, it was because he knew Keith well.  
_

_So well, that he could feel when the stupid boy was going to do something so characteristically impulsive that it could be interpreted as idiotic.  
_

_Who knew? Maybe Keith was planning on joining a freaking satanic cult or something. Maybe he was going to sacrifice himself for the art of demon summoning or some shit.  
_

_Lance rolls his eyes. Ok. Maybe he's seen one too many horror movies with Hunk and Pidge.  
_

_Lance hides behind the wall, stealthily pressing his body against it as he strains to hear the telltale sign of Keith's departure. The swift swish of the metallic door as it opens and the soft sounds of deliberately quiet footsteps reach Lance’s ears, growing farther and farther away with each passing tick.  
_

_He acts according to instinct.  
_

_In the next moment, he has lept onto the black paladin’s back, the force of the impact quite literally knocking Keith unceremoniously to the ground with a surprised grunt. Lance has him pinned a second later, a surge of pride rushing through him at the fact that he,_ Lance _, had taken down_ Keith _.  
_

_Another thought courses through his mind. A slightly less admirable one.  
_

_“Lance,” his voice escapes him in a displeased growl. “Get off me.”  
_

_Lance scrambles off of Keith in the next instant, a light blush dusting his cheeks._  
He hears him heave a bodily sigh before he lifts himself off the ground and turns to face the suddenly sheepish Lance. A black eyebrow raises to his forehead, and his arms fold across his chest, obsidian eyes regarding him suspiciously.

_“Did you have something you wanted to say to me?”  
_

_Lance chokes, usual flamboyance failing to come to fruition when in the presence of one Mr. Keith Kogane. “Uhhhh. Where are you going? Are you leaving?”  
_

_Keith's other eyebrow shoots up, and Lance could swear he sees a barely perceptible flash of surprise before the expression fades back into deceptive dispassion. “What's it to you?” He asks in gruff suspicion, folding his arms protectively across his chest. “You've never cared before, why should you care now?”  
_

_Lance scoffs in legitimate offense, the usual Keith-related anger brimming to the surface of his tentative nice-boy act. “Ugh! Why are you so annoying, dude? I do too care. Now why do you have all these freaking bags, man? Where. Are. You. Going?”  
_

_Keith’s stunned into silence, mouth agape for a tick before he recovers, promptly avoiding Lance's furious gaze. “I'm leaving.”_

_“No, duh. I asked_ where _, Caplan Obvious.”  
_

_Keith rolls his eyes, practicing patience after all had never been his strong suit. Especially when Lance deliberately pushed his buttons. Ah, he was so easy to rile up. “First of all: it's_ Captain _Obvious, and second of all: not here,” is the growled answer that comes from Keith. “I can't stay here anymore. Not while I'm not wanted.”  
_

_Before Lance has a chance to even refute that stupid, stupid claim that just came out of Emo-Boy’s mouth, the aforementioned is already gone, walking briskly away from the team and from Lance.)_

"/"

  
Originally, Lance assumes that Voltron was, under no circumstances supposed to know about Keith's clandestine attack, but through the magnificence that was Voltron’s bond, he could feel everything.

The sudden flash of surprised anger from Shiro.

The startled fear from Allura and Pidge.

The anxiety emanating from Hunk.

Over the intercom, he hears someone, perhaps Shiro, gasp a startled breath, before a breathy whisper escapes him, as horrified and fearful as it is worried and disbelieving. Of all the paladins, Lance had always seen Shiro as the unyielding warrior. He had never once seen Shiro, strong, determined, _Shiro_ cry and he never once expected to.

Until now.

“Keith's not gonna make it.” The black paladin whispers over the comm.

"/"

( _“So what? You're just gonna_ leave _?” Lance inquires in outrage once he caught up to Keith. “Right when we need you the most? Duuuuuude,” he sighs. “That's cold even for you.”  
_

_Keith flinches momentarily, before his hardened eyes flick to meet blue. “You don't need me,” he rumbles. “You have Allura, you have Shiro. That's all you need to form Voltron_.”

 _Lance rolls his eyes. “Look, I know this may seem hard for you, but can you try not to be an idiot once in your life?” Keith raises an eyebrow, but allows Lance to continue. “We–I don't care if there are a thousand people living in this goddamn castle, ready to join Voltron. You are a part of this team, man. We–” his heart jolts. “_ I _need you_.”

_Keith’s eyes soften for the briefest of instances before hardening in deceptive apathy once more. “I appreciate the concern, Lance,” he says. “But you're wrong. I can never be the leader Shiro wants me to be. I'm not strong in Black, Allura still kinda hates me and everyone doubts every single decision I make. I only hold you all back.”  
_

_“Wha–_ What _?! Well where will you go then_?!”

_Keith regards him oddly, a gentle glance interspersed within an angry glare. Lance’s throat goes involuntarily dry. “I'm going to join the Blade of Marmora, Lance. Don't try to follow me.”  
_

_“You're gonna become a_ Marmorite _? Keith, you're choosing_ them _over_ us _?! Dude, what the hell?!"  
_

_Keith sighs. “It's what I want, Lance. Give the team my regards.”  
_

_With that, he picks up his sparse belongings, turns swiftly on his heel, and walks away, leaving Lance completely and utterly alone_.)

"/"

Everything following Shiro’s dirge of a sentence goes by in a blur.

The unknown is most probably the scariest foe that Lance has ever faced.

There's a certain tension that comes with the uncertainty of things. An underlying question. An infinite line of questions that perhaps will never be answered. And a slew of questions that perhaps will be answered _(is he dead?)_

That, to Lance, is the scariest notion of all.

Not knowing, waiting to know, almost _not_ wanting to know.

That is the scariest of all.

Absentmindedly, Lance lands Red in the red hangar, a small lingering thought reminding him that this used to be _Keith's_ lion.

Numbly, uncertainly, he stumbles out, and ventures to find the others.

"/"

( _There is little more terrifying than the very lingering thought that a teammate (and perhaps, just perhaps, someone holding infinitely more value) is in some kind of danger. Whether or not it was when he was somewhere else entirely, on some other mission where he couldn't protect him, or when they were on the very same mission, and he still couldn't protect him_.

_Especially when the very thing they were fighting was the very thing he was fighting. But the only difference was that...Lance had no control._

_Over whether or not Keith lived, or whether or not Keith died.  
_

_There was, yet again, the factor of the unknown. Fear itself_.

_Once more, Keith had been an impulsive idiot, the lone Galra pilot ship flying directly in front of the Red lion to take the potentially lethal blow for Lance. The ship hadn't responded for a few solid doboshes, and Lance's pleas grew more and more desperate, his joining the collective ones of his team.  
_

_Only when Lance got the answering message over the comm, was when he could finally breathe easily_.

_“I'm fine.” Came the resounding rumble. “No need to worry so much, guys.”  
_

_The red paladin sees...well red, for the briefest of instances, anger replacing the nearly palpable fear. “Stupid Mullet Head,” Lance instinctively quips, regarding the one instant where the only responds to his questioning calls was static. “You could have gotten yourself killed, or worse. What the hell were you thinking–?”  
_

_“Lance,” Allura interrupts steely. “That's enough. Keith, are you alright_?”

_“I'm fine, Princess.” Keith replies wearily. “Just a little sore.”  
_

_“You should be,” Allura hums disapprovingly. “You're an impulsive idiot, Keith Kogane.”  
_

_Lance heaves a relieved chuckle. If he sees Allura, he would make sure to give her a super awesome fist pump for the super awesome burn_.

_“Glad you're alright, buddy.” Lance tells Keith amidst laughter. “Cause now I get to see you die Allura-style instead. And that's gonna be sooooo funny.”  
_

_His laughter is joined by the other paladins’ and eventually, Keith’s tentative chuckle as well_.)

"/"

Lance’s worried sprint to wherever they had taken the Galra fighter ship goes quite similarly to the ride home, especially in terms of fleeting emotions rushing through his turbulent mind.

Somewhere in his subconscious, Lance vaguely understands that Keith had been able to escape, only by Prince Lotor’s help, but that didn't exactly stop him from worrying.

"/"

( _“You should be happy for me, Lance,” Keith tells him one night over the comm. “I'm finally with people that understand me.”  
_

_Lance scoffs. “Uh-huh. Yeah right. I was your right hand man, dude. I understood you.”  
_

_Keith chuckles. “Yeah I guess you kinda did. Well, better than most of the team did._ ”

 _Lance scoffs once more. “_ Kinda _?” He parrots. “What'd ya mean_ kinda _? I basically know you better than like anyone. And the team...well, they miss you too. How's life with the Marmorites?"_

_“Good.”  
_

_“Good?” Lance asks suspiciously.  
_

_“Yep. Good_.”

_“Yeeeeeah, I don't believe you.”  
_

_“Why not?” Keith asks dryly.  
_

_“‘Cause they're not exactly family, bro. They're kinda… harsh.”  
_

_Keith stays silent.  
_

_“And I know you, Keith. Better than most. I'm like your confidante, man. Your super cool, super attractive, Sharpshooter confidante_.”

_“Yes,” comes the breathy whisper. “Yes you are.”  
_

_Lance nods inquisitively, ignoring the super weird tone that the man has just adopted. “Uh-huh. Soooo..."_

_“What?”  
_

_“How are things really going with the Marmorites_?”

_A sigh and then, “It's kinda rough.”  
_

_“That's what I thought.” Lance says triumphantly. “So when are you coming back?”  
_

_He pauses for a brief tick. “I'm not coming back, Lance.”  
_

_“What?” Lance whines. “But whyyyyyy_?"

_“I already told you,” Keith answers with barely contained irritation. “I'm not needed there.”  
_

_“Dude.” Lance says, unimpressed by the overly stubborn man’s pathetic answers. “I told you too… We. Don't._ Care _. I don't_ care _. I just want you back, man. We're not Voltron without you.”  
_

_“Yeah, you kinda are.”  
_

_Lance frowns. “Uhhh. No we kinda aren't_.”

_“Lance, I gotta go. What was it you wanted to tell me?”  
_

_Lance sighs. It was pointless. “I just want you to be okay, Keith. I really want you to come back. We all miss you, dude I… Jesus Christ...I really miss you. I'm kinda terrified that one day, these calls won't be a thing anymore cause you'll either be maimed, brainwashed or_ dead _. Get it?_

 _He's silent for a long time. “...Brainwashed_?”

_Lance growls. “Oh, shut up, Mullet-Head!” He cries indignantly. “It could happen!”  
_

_Keith chuckles lightly. A small smile makes its way across Lance’s lips, despite the context surrounding the call.  
_

_“I suppose what I'm trying to say is that… I… miss you. And I want you to come home_.”

_Keith’s line goes quiet for one tick, two, three– “I gotta go now, Lance.” Keith sighs. “But...thanks.”  
_

_The line clicks, and Lance thinks that...just maybe…  
_

_...His voice sounded slightly uneven, as if Lance's words really did get through that painfully thick skull of his_.)

"/"

The moment he steps inside the common room, he's greeted by a cacophony of voices. He recognizes the deep timbre of Shiro, low and partially furious; he's immediately cognizant of Allura’s accent, her voice shrill and upset. Hunk sounds worried, his voice tremulous and uncertain. Coran sounds hesitant, with a slight amount of uncharacteristic fear for the usually flamboyant man. Pidge’s timbre is afraid, reminding Lance of his present state. It seems that, despite all their differences, he and Pidge are finally on the same page.

Silence descends when six pairs of eyes land on Lance, and the faces of his family: fearful, uncertain, and furious alike, taughten in an almost tentative anxiety.

“Lance,” Allura, her crystal blue eyes unwavering, steps in front of the blank faced Keith, as if he were to harm him. “Not now. He doesn't need reprimanding from you.” Even though her words were stern, her face was gentle, eyes sparkling with understanding and worry for both of her friends.

“It's alright, Allura,” Keith pushes past her, head peaking from around her shoulder. “I can handle it.”

Allura purses her lips in uncertainty, eyes flickering with worry. “Keith–”

“I'm fine.” He tells her sternly, pushing past her to stand in front of Lance. “Well, dude,” Keith says, eyes kind and soft smile genuine. “Have at it. I know what I did was stupid and if anyone is to yell at me...it should be you. So go on,” he prods, a breathtakingly crooked smirk lingering playfully on his lips. “Give me all you got, McClain.”

Lance thinks. And he thinks. And he thinks. And he thinks some more.

But somehow, no retorts, no biting insults come to mind. There is only a rush of relief at seeing him alive, and a tentative feeling of something else lingering deep within his subconscious. Should he put a name to that unknown emotion, he was certain that he would lose all previously thought aspects of himself, and perhaps gain something entirely knew.

Keith raises an eyebrow, waiting for whatever stinging retorts Lance had to throw at him.

“You're an idiot.”

Keith’s other eyebrow joins the first, his arms folding inquisitively across his chest. “That's it, Lance?” He asks in disbelief. “That's all you have? ‘Cause I have to say…” a chuckle. “That's pathetic even for–”

He doesn't get a chance to finish whatever it is he's about to say.

For Lance has long since run out of things to say, and in an uncommon display of rare emotion, has slung his arms around his long term rival/ confidante/ something else entirely, heaving out a relieved sigh into the crook of his neck. Deft fingers come up to run happy strokes through thick raven hair that curls around his fingertips as though welcoming him. Lance feels Keith tighten instinctively at the unexpected contact, but subsequently loosen, and snake his own arms securely around Lance as well.

Numbly, Lance hears the startled murmurs from the other paladins, feels the collective semblance of confusion emanating from them, but in that moment, he doesn't care.

For Keith is alive. Keith is here.

Everything is once again alright.

The unnamed emotion in Lance’s chest strengthens, making its constant presence known as he burrows his face into the man’s shoulder, taking solace in his presence.

“Missed you, Mullet.” He mutters into Keith.

Lance feels Keith relax into the touch. “Missed you too, McClain.” He rumbles.

With that, everything is whole again. Not as if the hole that had constantly been present had been filled, but as if there had never been a hole there to begin with.

Silence has its own sound.

The ironic thing about it, is that it's not really a sound at all. It's more of a feeling, an aura that sets the silence alight with small, interspersed little spurts of sound.

The semblance of friends.

The gentle hum of the castle.

A relieved sigh.

The pounding of a heart.

A pair of even breaths, gathered together once more.

A joyful chuckle.

In silence, the slightest of sounds carries more than a symphony of orchestral instruments.

There's feeling behind the sound. Something inherently infectious about joy and something inhumanly comforting in the small sounds interspersed within the silence. There is something relaxing in finding solace after so long, something comforting in another's arms. Something breathtakingly human in the way the unnamed emotion _flutters_ in Lance’s chest, unbidden and unstoppable.

This is the current sensation of Lance’s beating heart as he rests in Keith's comforting embrace, while around them, family gathers in collective approval and affection.

This is the sensation of uncanny and inexplicable love.


End file.
